System for gathering gas from oil tanks, etc., of refineries



H. R. MAXON SYSTEM FOR GATHERING eAs FROMIOIL-TANKS, Em, 0F REFINERIES Filed May 19, 1926 Patented Oct. 30, 1928.

PATENT OFFICE.

. UNITED STATES my a men, or mmcm, INDIANA.

SYSTEM FOR GATHERING GAS FROM OIL TAN-KS, ETQ, OF

mama-1a Hay 19,1920. Serial 110,110,060.

It has long been common refinery practice to store oil intermediate various steps of its treatment and before and after such treatment in closed tanks provided with so-called breathing pi es. The provision of such pipes is for t e purpose of preventing the collapse of the tank which might otherwise 'occur because of pressure diiferentlal be-- perature changes or exposure to the ra s of -the sun would cause a super-atmosp eric pressure within the tank either of which, if

' of suflicient magnitude, would cause destruction of or injury to the tank. With these tubes open to the atmosphere the tank breathes as it is called, expelling gas-as" the temperature rises "and as the-tank is filled, and-drawing in air as the temperature falls or as the level of the oil in the tank is lowered b draft upon the contents thereof. It is we -known and has long been enerally recognized that much of the. 01 so stored contains large quantities of dissolved gas and light hydrocarbons which are near their critical point at ordinary temperature a and which, to a verylarge extent, escape I and are lost through the breathing tubes. @These gases and light hydrocarbons free from air dilution, have a high value for fuel "rand other pur oses. In ordinary practice,

however, even if saved they would be of. reduced value because of irregular content of.

: airbecause of the practice of opening a manhole in the cover of the tank for the purpose of thieving, gaging, inspection, etc.

the gas in undiluted condition from the oil a tank and other parts of the refinery appa-* It is the object of my invention to gather ratus from which such gas is available, and utilized for fuel or other purposes, it being entirely practical to pass such gas so gathered through an absorption or gasoline recovery plant and recover the condensible' vapors in salable form, and at'the same tlme. insure the tank'against dangerous pressure differentials.

' In the drawing accompanying and form preferred embodiment of t Fig. 2 is a section of a modified detail.

ing apart of this specification, I have shown, in F1g. 1 diagrammaticall in elevation, a

p In the system shown in the drawing, 1 indicates a pipe leading to some apparatus for the storgge or use of gas. 4 is a gas-holder connect by a pipe 5 to pipe 1 for the purpose of maintalnmg a small substantially e invention, and

uniform pressure slightly above atmospheric on the latter. This pressure may well be in the neighborhood of two inches of water. 6 is a pump for feeding the gas to an absorber and thence to the line 1. .A. slight pressure, preferably not more than two inches of water, may be maintained on the inlet side-"bf the exhauster in thepipe 8, I have I shown diagrammatically at 9 a pressure con- .trol governor for the exhauster, which may be of known or preferred form, connected 1 at 10to the pipe 8, whereby when the pressure in pipe v8 becomes excessive the ump is set inmotion to forceugas to thea sorber and to the pipe 1 and gas holder 4. 11 is a closed tank such as commonly employed for storing 'oil in refineries, but having no breathing pipe in the top thereof. A'pipe 12' leads fromthe top of said tank to two branch pipes 13, 14 which are. brought together and connected by (pipe 15 with theinlet pipe 8 of the pum an to the by-pass 18. hereinafter describe Pipe 13 is provided with a check-valve 16 which may be of-ordinary form opening away from the tank so that when the pressure in the tank exceeds that in the pipe 15 the valve will open and permit gas to flow from the tank 11 to the inlet of the exhauster.

'Pipe l l is provided with a check valve 0 en ing in the opposite direction, but so weig ted that it will remain closed with the normal pressure in the pipe 15 and a pressure .in tank 11 which is substantially. atmospheric or higher. In other words, the valve 17 remains closed under normal conditions. But if the ressure in the'tank 11 falls substantially through by-pass 18. This by-pass consists of p a pipe having a valve 19control-led'by a pressure governor 20 which may be of usual or referred forin connectedto the byass 18 y a pipe 21 so as to be controlled by t e pressure in pipe 15. The pressure regulator is so .-designe'd that on the drop of pressure in pipe 15 following a pressure; drop in tank 11 below the normal, valve 19 will open and permit the gas to flow'from the gathering line through the by-pass into pipe 15 and then a through pipe 14: and valve 17 into tank 11. Tank 11 is provided with an emergency air inlet valve 22 connected thereto by pipe 23, said valve 22 being so weighted as to 0 en only when the air pressure in tank 11 alls to such a point as to endanger .the structure. Any normal reduction in pressure in the tank 11, however, will be taken'care of by gas returning through the by-pass and valve 17. I

In operation, as heretofore indicated, a pressure slightly above atmospheric, say of about two inches of water is maintained on the system including pipe 15 by gas holder 4 and when the pressure in the tank 11, due to the development of gas from the oil therein exceeds that pressure, gas will flow through pipe 12, valve 16, pipe 13 to the pipe 15 and the increased pressure operating on the governor 9 will set the pump 6 into operation' to transfer gas to the absorber and to the gathering and distributor pipe 1. If the pressure in the tank llis intermediate atmospheric and the pressure in the pipe 15 there will be no flow of gas in either direction. When the pressure in tank 11 is below atmospheric gas will flow to said tank throu h the by-pass and valve 17 as above descri ed to relieve this condition. In the I ing line. V

unusual circumstance that the flow through the valve 17 is not sufiicient to restore the pressure in tank 11, valve 22 will open to admit atmospheric air and. restore the balance of pressure. Obviously, if a man-hole in thetank is open for thieving, gaging, inspection, etc, or other purpose, there will be no flow of gas from the tank to the gatherhus by 'my system the gas given off by the tank is saved and used and is kept sufficiently free from air because of the pressure maintained on the system to maintain its value as a fuel. At the same time the tank is saved from collapse \which might otherwise occur due to excess or reduced pressure'therein.

I have shown only one tank connected to the gathering line, but manifestly any num ber of tanks could be so connected. I

Gas may also be supplied to the gathering line from other sources within the refinery 'and'I' have shown at 25 a look box such as is commonly located in the run down line from a' still condenser, connected by ipe 26 to the intake part of thef'pump. A c eck valve 27 in the line 26 prevents the back flow of gas in case the pressure in the lookbox is less than that at the inlet side of the pump.

Manifestly if desired, the pump or absorber, or either of them,- may be omitted from the connection. i

Instead of the valves 16 and 17, a liquid seal may lee-employed. Figure 2 shows such a li uid seal. In the illustration a riser 30pxten ing'through the bottom of acasing 31 may beconnected to the gas space of tank 11. A bell 32 is suspended in the usual manner from a weighted lever 33 pivoted at 3 1. From the casing a pipe 15' leads to the gathering pipe. As liquid seal is provided at 35 and a skimmer pipe at 36 which leads ofi gasoline which may condense and float upon the liquid of the seal 35. Preferably glycerin or a strong solution thereof is used to constitute the seal. It will be noted that the area of the surfage of the liquid within the bell 32 is considerably greater than'that between the bell and the wall of the casing. The volume of the liquid within the bell and above the lower edge-thereof is correspondingly greater than the volume of the liquid above the bottom of the bell and between said bell and the wall of the casing when the level of the liquid is the same within and without the valve. Thus the seal performs the combined functions of the valves 16 and 17, permitting flow of gas to the tank to permit the flow of gas past the seal from the tank 11 tothe gathering line may be pre-.

determined as required.

' This makes the valve more sensitive to a vacuum since for every inch the liquid level inside the-bell is raised by a vacuum in the oil storage tank, the liquid level outside the bell would be lowered an amountin proportion to the ratio of the inside area to the outside area, thus causing the breaking of the seal sooner.

Since the seal does not have any part in the operation of the valve, during the flow of gas from the oil storage tank to the gathering lines,'the force of the gas merely lifting the bell clear'of the liquid, it follows that gas can-flow from the tank to the line 15 with a lower pressure differential than in the reverse direction. By properly weighting the lever 34 a suflicient resistance to the flow of gas to the tank may be created to prevent such flow unless the pressure inthe tank falls below atmospheric.

I claim:

1. In a system of the class described, a gathering line, means for maintaining a slight superatmospheric pressure on the gathering line, a closed tank for containing oil, and condrops below atmospheric but preventing a.

" maaaaa 3 t such passage as long as atmospheric pressure gathering line by predetermined amount and is maintained in the tank. permitting the return of gas to the tank ffom 19 2. In a system of the class described, a tank, the gathering line when the pressure on the a gathering line, means for maintaining a latter exceeds that on the tank by substantial- 5 substantially uniform pressure on the gatherlylarger predetermined amounts.

ving line, and means permitting the supply 915 In testimony whereof, I have subscribed gas from the tank to the gathering line when my name. a v 4 the pressure in the tank exceeds that in the HARRYR. MAXON. 

